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Wednesday, March 2, 2016

If you would like to make lentil-shaped hollow polymer clay beads
or concave/convex polymer clay pendants, you will need some spherical
forms.

Since the beginning of our craft, polymer clay artists developed a
habit of looking at various household items as potential tools for
polymer clay. That is why you can often see old incandescent light
bulbs recommended in polymer clay projects as forms for convex pendants.
This used to be a cheap and simple option, but with the spread of
fluorescent bulbs, finding the old ones is getting more and more
challenging.

The second option is also stemming from the same idea – trash to
tools. If you cut out the bottom of a soda can, it can be used as a
concave/convex form. The issue with this approach is that the
obtained form is a bit more shallow (and it also has nasty sharp
edges that you have to keep in mind all the time).

By now, there is a professional tool for this task is available
from Polyform. It is called Sculpey Hollow Bead Maker. Nice, but a
bit pricey. I also do not like that it has a few forms on the same
base and feels kind of crowded to work with.

Here is the best option I found so far (cue the drum roll): Aluminum Sphere Cake Molds. They come in a few sizes, cost less than a dollar per
pair on eBay, and very easy to work with. Enjoy!